Kids, Candy, and True Love
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: In which Max learns that mother does not always know best and father almost always never does. Post-Nevermore One-shot.


Kids, Candy, and True Love

"Wow! I can't believe your mommy and daddy brought you back this stuff."

"Well," the little boy said slowly. "They do love me bunches, so I guess it makes sense."

The little girl just smiled as she reached into the bag the boy was holding out, pulling out the treasured gumball. Twenty years ago, a kid their age would have loved to have one on a hot summer's days. They wouldn't have, however, though of it as something so coveted. But then again, that kid probably didn't live on an island where a snack was an apple and a treat was when that kind blind guy cut you up a pineapple.

"Wow. I got a pink one."

"You can have all the pink ones. The purple ones too," the boy told her then as he twisted the bag up and stuck it back in his little backpack at his feet. Squatting down, he zipped it back up before lifting it up from the sand and onto his shoulders. "I gots other stuff too. Daddy bought me some toys."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. Mommy said that we could play with them later. She said I shouldn't take all my stuff outs the treehouse so nobody steals 'em."

"Your mommy's smart."

"Guess so."

"Are you glad that she's back?"

"Mmmhmm. Daddy too. He brought me this new jacket." The boy held out his arms then, showing it off. "Sometimes I wished that we didn't have to live on this island. It's a lot of fun, other places."

"I wouldn't know," the girl said, holding her arms out too, though it was more to balance herself as she walked on her tippytoes. "I ain't ever been off the island."

"I have. It's great." The little boy jumped over nothing, just to prove he could to no one in particular. "I'll take you one day."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm." The boy shook his head slightly, to get his too long, too dark hair out of his eyes. "It'd be fun."

The girl grinned at him then, that real big, creepy one that she got sometimes, but he just kept on walking. He had to soak up all the playing time he could that day, as there was going to be a big party later, since his mommy and daddy were back. Not that he didn't think that wouldn't be fun or whatever, but he knew it would be different than just playing. Sometimes he liked to just play.

"My mommy got you something too," the boy told her then.

"What?"

"I ain't supposed to-"

"Are we friends or not, Nicky?"

He kicked up some sand then. "Course we're friends."

"Then tell me."

"She got you some new shoes is all." He kept his eyes on the sand though. "She was gonna give 'em to you tonight at the party."

"Oh." The girl looked down at the ones she was wearing currently. Like most kids on the island, they were worn down and were in a real need of replacement. "What do they look like?"

"They're pink."

"Good. I like pink."

He resisted the urge to make a face, instead waving the older people they walked passed. His mommy and daddy always made him act very polite.

"Hello, kids," the woman greeted them to which they both waved some more before picking up their speed, running off with that bashfulness that young children everywhere seemed to possess. It annoyed the girl sometimes, when she hung around Nicky. Because his mommy was so important and all, people were always being extra nice to them. Well, the adults were.

You know, until he got caught doing something wrong. Then they all ran to his mommy and daddy and told on him and more than likely told on her too. It was really an unwinnable situation for the most part.

"Where are we going?" the girl finally asked as they continued on down the beach. "Are we gonna play pirates?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"We always play pirates. Everyone always plays pirates. Ain't nobody anything but pirates."

"…I like pirates."

"We can play that later."

"Where are we going though?"

"We ain't going nowheres. Why we always gotta be going somewhere?"

She didn't answer him then, as she fell in step behind him. So it was going to be one of _those_ days. She figured he'd have a good day, considering his mommy and daddy were back and all, but apparently not. Most days, Nicky was lots of fun and they did lots of cool things. Then others he was all boring and didn't want to do nothing, but walk around and be quiet. It really sucked to be friends with him some days.

They were passed all the huts and homes and shops on the beach then, continuing on even passed the rocky pier that was normally their cut off point. That didn't mean much to her and Nicky though. That was for babies, staying on the main beach. They were practically grown, after all. Nicky was seven by that point and though she was six still, she was so close to her birthday that she just considered herself seven too. Basically, rules just didn't apply to them anymore. Duh.

"My daddy said that while him and Mommy were off the island, that they saw cars."

"Cars?"

"Uh-huh," the boy said, nodding. "Like the toys that we roll around. He said that people use those again."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

She giggled then, something that she did far too much of for Nicholas' taste. She was a girl though, so what could you do? She was a better girl than most girls though, if that made sense. More bearable.

"My mommy said that now that she's back, I can't sleep over at your treehouse no more," he told her then.

"I know. You gotta go back home."

"Yeah."

"That's okay though. I'm glad that your mommy and daddy are back. I like them."

"Me too."

So they continued on down the island for some time, not really talking about much and not really doing much either. They could spend hours together, never doing much. Sometimes they'd hangout with some of the other kids on the island and play a real game like soccer or football (It really depended on what kind of a ball they had available to them, if one at all). Either that or they'd play pretend. Play pirates or something, much to the detriment of Nick. It was childish to him, the way that everyone always wanted to pretend to be pirates or superheroes or doctors. Playing pretend was for _babies_. And he wasn't a baby. He was pretty sure he never was.

Eventually though, they got so far from home that no one would have been able to hear them scream or yell if they needed them too. And that wasn't such a problem on the island for the most part. Nothing ever really happened there. Everyone literally knew everyone. Not to mention, Nicky _was_ the next in line to inherit the island. He was practically a prince! And a prince would do whatever a prince wanted. Duh.

And on any normal day, he would have wanted to just find somewhere quiet to spend sometime…brooding. That's what his mommy called it. She always told him that he was brooding and plotting and that always made him giggle because that made him think of a bad guy. Like Joker or something. And he wasn't a bad guy. How could he be when his daddy and mommy were good guys?

But it wasn't a normal day. Or so the children found out when they made it to a point where the woods ran further out onto the beach than in other parts. And it was as they were walking passed the trees and such that suddenly three older boys came out of the forest, coming to a stop in front of the two (technically) seven year olds.

"Well, well, well, the little sheep is rather far from home, ain't he?"

Nicky planned to walk around the older kids, but they were standing in a line in front of him and he figured it best to just stop and talk to them. The polite thing and all.

"We're just explorin' is all," the boy said while his friend frowned slightly. "'fore the party."

"For your stupid parents coming home party?"

Nicky just blinked before nodding. Why wouldn't he? "Yep."

"They're not stupid," the girl said then, but no one paid her attention. Again, she was just a stupid girl. Nicky had no problem acknowledging the fact that his best friend was a girl, but still. He had his limits. He wasn't a crazy man.

Kris, the unnamed leader of all the preteens (He thought he was a big deal because his mother was one of the scientists. Psst. He didn't even have wings.), which of course gave him the right to keep all the younger children in line. This included, of course, the little prince himself.

Nicky was used to being picked on though. It was hard, having your parents in such a high up position and all. It gave him some friends of course, but it also brought him enemies. And knowing that he would be leader one day? That got to some kids. The idea that they would never get to be anything of power because, well, the leader had given birth to a kid and that kid automatically got to control the island that they were all basically forced to live on? It was ludicrous to some, but it was the way things were going to be for the time being.

When the eleven, ten, and eight year old just stood there in front of the seven year olds, not moving, Nicholas sighed slightly before moving to take off his backpack. His father told him to always stand up to bullies, that he was born a fighter and would die one, but his mommy didn't like him to come home with owies. She'd always fret over him and then make a big scene and really just embarrass him. The Gasman (One of his most favorite people on the island/world/universe ever in existence) told him that it was just a balance thing. You had to learn to pick your battles. And the battle in front of him? It was not worth it.

"I gots some candy," he told the other boys then. "My mommy and daddy got it from…well…wherever they went. You guys can have some, I guess. If you want."

"Some of it?" one of the other boys, Drake, taunted.

"We're taking all of it," James told him then.

Nicky blinked. "No."

"The hell we're not!"

It wasn't that Nicky wasn't a good fighter. His daddy had taunt him to spar and all even though Mommy was never too keen on that. Still, he was just a seven year old boy. And they were so much bigger than him! Not to mention there were three of them. He fought though, for his candy and his backpack that his mommy and daddy had given him because it wasn't fair that he had to lose it just because those boys were mean and they didn't like him or his mother or the fact that he was born or just didn't like his hair or something which was just as a horrible reason.

But as James held his down and the other boys ripped his bag from his shoulders while kicking him, he could only shout and fight back, watching as his friend took off crying. She always cried. And ran. She was coward. She had always been a coward. He wasn't mad at her.

After all, Evelyn was just a little six year old. She wasn't seven yet. She wasn't as mature as him. Plus she was a girl, which basically meant she'd never be of any help anyways.

* * *

"Who did this to you? You are going to tell me right no-"

"Nobody."

"Nick-"

"No one!"

"I am not stupid," Max complained as she held a cloth to his face. "You are going to tell me right now-"

"We was just playing and I got hurt," he said. "Huh, Evelyn?"

She sniffled real loud then, sounding like she was going to start crying once again. Nicky just rolled his eyes though as his mother shook her head. He was the one hurt after all. She could be such a stupid girl sometimes that Nick wondered why he even wanted to be her friend.

"I don't know," the little girl whimpered, sounding miserable. Nicky just looked over at his father.

"We wasn't doing nothing bad," he told his father, knowing his mother would never believe him. "Honest."

They were in the family's treehouse, where Nicky and Evelyn had headed after she came back for him to find that he was bruised and bloodied. They had both assumed that his parents would not be around, as it was the morning and they probably were going to be going about their normal business. In hopes that that was true, they went to find some stuff to clean the boy's wounds up, but instead found his two very concerned parents.

"Tell me who did this to you, Nicky," Max said then. "Has this been going on the whole time I was gone?"

"No, Mom."

"Look at me."

"I am!"

"Nick-"

"Max," Fang sighed from over in the corner where he stood, watching the two children. "Calm down."

"You calm down, Fang. Someone hurt-"

"He says that no one hurt him. That they were playing."

"And? He's lying. You know that he is."

"I am not."

Nicky moved away from his mother then, turning his face. He was facing Evelyn then and faked a quick smile for her, to let her know that everything was okay. That was the reason that he was friends with her; because he had to be there to cheer her up. She was such a sad little six year old. Maybe seven would treat her better. Like it had him.

A slight whining started up then, from the little crib next to Fang. All the commotion had woken the sleeping two-year-old, who was trying to get her nap in for the afternoon. The day had been so busy so far, as Mommy and Daddy had come back that morning. All the baby wanted to do was get some sleep, but once again her big brother was ruining that.

Fang groaned slightly, turning to lift his daughter into his arms. "See what you did, Nick?"

If there was anything he liked less, it was when his little sister was crying. He hardly even liked her at all! Not only was she a girl, but she was also a girl that _basically_ took Mommy and Daddy away from him. Why exactly was he supposed to care about her anyways?

Max, who was down on her knees at that point, using a wet rag to wash her son's face off, sighed. "So you're not going to tell me then? Either of you?"

"N-"

"Max, they told you that they were playing," Fang said simply as he bounced his toddler in his arms. She had calmed down some then, though she was still in that in between stage, where if he stopped giving her attention, she'd go right back into fussy mode.

Honestly, going off the island with Max used to be a vacation. Like a great romantic event. As time wore on though, it turned more into Max worrying about their kids on the island and how they fared. Don't get Fang wrong; he worried too. A lot. Especially since this most recent time was the first time they would be leaving their daughter alone. However, he was confident that with all the people on the island, there was no way that anything would happen to either of his babies. Max was the mother though and he knew that meant that she had to be constantly concerned and all out annoying.

"You know that they weren't, Fang."

"I know that my son can take care of himself." Fang looked at Evelyn then. "Are you okay?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Then that's all that matters," Fang said. "Nicky'll heal, Max."

"I'm going to have to tell your mother, Evelyn," Max said then, kissing Nick's head as she stood once more. The boy immediately started to rub his head, as if to get the spit off.

"Tell her what, Max?" Fang was starting to get annoyed. "That she beat up our son?"

"Fang-"

"She didn't beat me up." Nick frowned then, glaring at his father. "She didn't!"

When Evelyn started giggling, Nicky got even more upset and rushed over to hit her or something. Whatever he was going to do was stopped by his mother reaching over to snatch his arm and pop him in the back of the head.

"Ow!"

"Max-"

"You don't hit girls," Max told him, having been able to see his main objective from a mile off.

"You said girls are the same as boys."

"Well I lied. Get used to it."

"Daddy-"

"Max, leave the kids alone." Fang slowly sat down on the edge of the mattress they had in the corner of the room, sighing slightly. Evelyn quickly came to sit next to him. She'd always loved Fang the most; she took after her mother in that way. "And Nick, you don't hit Evelyn anyways. Not because she's a girl or anything, but because I said so. If you ever hurt her, I'll make you look worse than you do right now."

The baby in Fang's lap, now calm once more, let out a slight yawn before reaching over to pat the girl's head.

"Cry," the toddler told Fang, still patting Evelyn's head. "Cry."

She of course wanted her daddy to fix the other girl's sadness, as he did hers so frequently.

Fang just smiled at the six year old before saying, "It's okay, Evie. Don't be upset before the party."

"Crap," Max complained then as Nicky ran away from her and further into the treehouse. "I forgot about that."

"It's dinner that I don't have to make, so I'm perfectly fine with it," Fang said as the toddler in his arms started to wiggle.

He released her, only for her to run over to her crib, no doubt wanting to finish her nap now that she knew everything was alright. Not that she was worried or anything though. Now that Daddy was back, everything would always be alright.

Always.

"You wanna go back to sleep, honey?" Max went to pick up her daughter and set her in the crib once more. It had been hell, finding that crib two years ago and getting it back to the island. They had long since given Nicky's old one away at that point, as they never really planned to have anymore children.

"Can I go now?" Nicky asked, frowning as his mother put his baby sister in her crib once more. "I gotta go play 'fore the party."

"Play like you were before? No you cannot."

"But-"

"Can I have my shoes?" Evelyn spoke up as Fang moved to pick her up and set the little girl in his lap. She giggled, snuggling against him. "Please?"

"Evelyn," Nicky complained while Max turned around to give them both a look.

"How'd you know about your shoes, Evie?" Max asked. "Huh?"

"I don't."

"It's not good to lie, Evie," Fang told her. "Nicky told you, huh?"

"No," Nicholas said, frowning.

"Don't lie to your father, son," Fang told him with a shake of his head. "It's not good."

"Oh, but lie to his mother about whether or not he got into a fight?" Max made a face at her husband. "Honestly, Fang."

"Just give the girl her shoes, Max," Fang said with a shake of his head. "She needs them."

"It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Surprises aren't any fun anyways." Fang stood, setting the girl on the ground first. "Let me get them, Evelyn. Hold on."

"Did Nicky share his candy with you?" Max asked the girl then. "I told him to."

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing," Nicky interrupted.

"What, Evie?" Max asked, frowning at her son. "But what?"

"Well…we kinda lost our candy."

"Lost it?"

More like it got taken.

Nicky wasn't no crybaby though. Instead, he just shook his head. "I lost it. I'm sorry."

Max and Fang weren't stupid, of course. They shared a look as he came back with the little girl's shoes. Someone had beaten up their son for his candy.

"It's okay, buddy," Fang said after handing the shoes over to Evelyn. "You guys go play, huh? And be more careful this time, alright?"

They waited, Max and Fang did, for both kids to leave before they spoke. Or fought rather.

"Someone hurt our son, Fang."

"Yeah, I know."

"And you're just going to-"

"It was another kid, Max," Fang told her with a sigh as he went over to the crib to stare down at his daughter, Kimmy. "And you getting involved will only embarrass him."

"What happens, Fang, when one of those kids goes too far and, gee I dunno, seriously hurts him? Or Evie? Then what?"

"Evelyn's a girl. No guy is going to hurt a girl."

"Oh, I'm glad you live in such a chauvinistic chivalrous world."

"…Thank you."

"I was being sarcastic, idiot!"

"God, I can see why someone would hit a girl."

"Fang-"

"Max, just take a breath."

"You take a breath."

"You're going to upset Kim again," he pointed out, the only thing that truly got his wife to take a moment to finally calm herself down. Then, slowly, they both went to lie down on the mattress, not touching the other in the slightest. It was only after a full two minutes that either spoke. And even then, it was Fang.

"You don't get it, Max. When you get involved, it makes Nick seem…weak. Like he needs his mother to-"

"He is seven years old. He needs his mother to do everything right now."

"You just aren't thinking," Fang said dismissively. "You don't realize how hard it is to-"

"And you do? No. You don't. Neither of us had a mother and father to take care of us."

"And look how we turned out."

"Horrible."

"Max-"

She took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "So what then, Fang? Are we just supposed to keep letting him get beat up?"

"Of course not," he said with a shake of his head. "We're going to take care of this. Believe me, we are. But we're not going to embarrass Nicky in the process."

"And how exactly are we going to do that?"

Reaching over, he patted her arm gently. "You just wait. Just wait."

* * *

The party was in full swing when Nicky and Evelyn showed up. They had gone off after leaving his treehouse to their usual hideaway, to lick their wounds and mope about losing all their candy. Around sundown though, they headed off to where they knew the party would be, as his mommy and daddy always told them that it was impolite to not at least make an appearance.

"Snacks," was the first thing Evelyn said as Nicky led her through the crowd of people. There were tables all around the clearing, filled with food and drinks. Whenever someone returned from the mainland, they always brought plenty of food back. Part of the world were really picking up by that time, nearly twenty years out from the near apocalypse. Everyone that was lucky enough to leave the island periodically believed in spreading the wealth and brought back many great treats.

"Mmmhmm," Nicky agreed as they headed over to one. There were cookies and a cake as well as some candy. They loaded up on what they knew they would eat before getting sick while Nicky took slightly more as well. Then they set off to their next destination.

"Hi, Ms. Marley," Nicky greeted as he approached the woman. She was the keeper of the babies for the day and was seated further back from the party, a group of young children playing on a blanket in front of her chair.

"Well, hello, Nicky and Evelyn."

The little girl giggled while Nicky just walked over to the blanket, headed right towards his little sister. She was pushing a wooden choo-choo around and hardly looked up as he dropped some cookies in front of her. Because as much as he disliked his baby sister, she was still just that; his sister.

Evelyn was talking to Ms. Marley then, but Nicky just looked around, searching for his parents. The adults were all standing around, laughing and getting drunk. He didn't spot either of his parents though, which wasn't good. If he didn't see them, it would be a waste in coming to the stupid thing anyways.

It was just in that moment though that his parents arrived, walking together as they came into the clearing, both doing an involuntary sweep of the grounds. Since getting back early that morning, they had already met with anyone that was truly important to them. Their kids, Max's mother, the Flock. The rest of these people were just a necessary evil that came with being leaders of an island. If you're gonna run an island, you have to make nice with the islanders sometimes.

"Who took Kimmy to the party?" Max whispered softly to her husband.

"Uh…Iggy came by with Nudge. They took her. She should be with the babies."

"Hmmm."

"And then Nicky and Evelyn I never saw again after you ran them off."

"I did not run them off. "

"You totally ran them off."

So they did their rounds for some time, shaking hands with people and having small talk that Fang mostly ignored. If he was known for anything on his wife's little island, it was his stoic attitude. The only time he really got involved in something was if he felt someone was not respecting Max. Because boy did he get involved then.

"I need a drink."

"You want-"

"Tequila," Max told Fang, nodding at the bottle that was on the table next to them. "I want some of that tequila."

"Straight?"

"God yes. I wanna vomit tonight."

"Let me get you some then."

He didn't have a chance to do so though as it was then that Max elbowed him rather hard.

"Look."

He followed her line of sight, his eyes falling over all the adults laughing and goofing off to a group of boys hanging out near some trees, kicking a ball back and forth.

"What? You see Nick-"

"Those kids are, like, chewing bubble gum. Look. That one is even trying to blow a bubble. A horrible bubble, but still a-"

"And you're telling me this because-"

"Because, Fang, where do you think they got it from?" Max asked, elbowing him again. "These must be the boys that beat up Nicky. God. Look at them. They're way older than him."

"Not way."

"Stop disagreeing with me."

"How about you stop disagreeing with me?"

"Fang-"

"Well, what do you want to do then, Max? Now that we know who the kids are?"

"I don't know. I wanted to talk to their parents, but you said no to that."

"Most definitely."

"Well, Fang, then it's all up to you, isn't it?"

"Hmmm."

"Don't make noises at me. Either say something serious or don't say anything at all."

"You really are bratty today, aren't you?"

"Fang-"

"I think I know those kids. I think that one is Rick's son. And then other is John's."

"So?"

"So I'll take care of it."

"How are you gong to do that?"

"I just will, Max, okay?"

"Why is it okay for you to talk to their fathers, but I can't talk to their mothers?"

"Because, Max."

"That's not an answer. That's a beginning of a shitty answer, but-"

"Would you chill?" Fang let out a slow breath. "God, you're not even drunk yet."

"Get me drunk. Please."

"Now, now dear-"

"Fang-"

"Look at those little brats." He was still staring over at those boys that had stolen his son's candy. "They come to our welcome home party with something they stole from our kid."

"The nerve."

"I'm afraid if I get you drunk enough, you'll go over there and just beat the crap out of them."

"Probably."

"You seem like the type," he agreed. "The child abuser type."

"Oh, go die."

"My point proven."

"Say, I have an idea."

"This ought to be good."

"Our son has a very talented father."

"I'm liking so far. Mention how sexy I am."

Max rolled her eyes before continuing. "One of his many talents-"

"Other than being utterly sexy."

"-is how he's now able to maintain his invisibility as he chooses."

Fang paused. "I can do that."

"So tonight, you're going to go invisible, sneak into that kid's house-"

"I'm not murdering children, Max."

"-and taking the candy back."

They both stood there, staring at one another for a moment.

"Why would I ever want you to-"

"I don't know, Max. I just thought that was where the conversation was going."

That actually turned out to be the true end of their conversation as it was then that Angel came up to them, all smiley and bouncy. She was honestly giving Fang a headache and he used her approach as a chance to go get him and Max something to drink.

"Thanks for watching Nicky while we were gone," Max said, though she had already thanked the younger woman a thousand times over.

"It's not like he's much maintenance, Max. I just tell him when to go to bed and make sure that he bathes. I'm just glad you didn't leave the baby with me."

"Yes, well, considering I was the one that had to raise your baby, I figured-"

"You did not."

"I totally did. I still basically do so-"

"Oh, shut up, Max. You are the only person that could be gone for weeks and make you hate them when they come back."

Someone started yelling then, somewhere in the clearing, no doubt too drunk and too rowdy. On the other side of the clearing though, Nicky and Evelyn didn't hear it as they continued making their rounds, trying to find at least one of their parents so they could finally take off. Since the sun was down, they weren't really supposed to stray far, but Nicky told her that they could go hangout at his treehouse and finally play with those toys his mommy and daddy brought back for him. That sounded way more fun than listening to adults laugh and talk way too loudly.

"Look," Evelyn said then, pointing across the clearing. "There's your mommy and daddy and my mommy."

"Mmmhmm." Nick set out that way then, easily slicing through the crowd what with his small stature, his friend racing along behind him. He got a little lost in the crowd for a moment, but quickly found his place once more when he heard his mommy's voice, complaining about something loudly. She did that a lot. His father told him that it was called nagging. Personally, Nicky just called it annoying.

"Mommy." Evelyn rushed over to her mother's side the second they were close enough while Nicholas just went to stand next to his father, staring up at him.

"Are you two having fun?" Max asked when her son wouldn't look at her. "Did you get something to eat? Or-"

"Can we go play with my toys?" Nicky glanced over at Angel before back at his own mother. "We won't be bad or nothing. We'll go right home."

"Buddy, you're supposed to be having fun here," Fang said, gesturing to the party.

"Are you having fun here?"

Fang paused before glancing at his wife. "Kid has a point."

"Look, Mommy," Evelyn was saying then, sticking her foot out real far so that her mother could see her shoes. "Fang and Max got me shoes. And Nicky didn't tell me about them."

Angel made a face at the last part, but still did smile. "They're very nice."

"They're pink."

"I noticed. I-"

"Can we go?" Nicky didn't really care much for what anyone was saying at the moment. "Please?"

"I don't like you guys walking around at night," Max told him. "Besides, Nicky, you should be happy."

"Why should I be happy?"

Better yet, when was the boy ever happy anyways? Who needed happiness?

"Because, Nicky, it's a party. All these people love you." His mother looked off then before frowning. "Most these people love you."

He huffed slightly before looking back at his father. "We won't do nothing bad. Honest."

"I dunno," Fang said, shaking his head slightly. "Do you think you can get there without getting hurt again?"

That was the first time Angel honestly looked at the boy. When she did, she frowned. "What happened to you?"

"Uh…we was just playing." Nicky kicked at the ground then before looking back up at his father. "Can we go now, Daddy?"

It was only once Max nodded that Fang gave his consent.

"Sure," the man said. "But go straight to the treehouse. I'm trusting you to be a big boy, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't let Evie beat you up again, huh?"

"She didn't!"

The three adults watched the two children run off after that, Nicky leading once more, no doubt secretly embarrassed at the thought of someone truly thinking that not only had a younger kid hurt him, but worse of all a girl. God, was there anything worse?

"What really happened?" Angel asked then, speaking more to Max than Fang. He just took a long sip from his drink, frowning at the bitter taste. It wasn't straight tequila of course, but he had put a little into soda. He figured since he was the one that brought the sodas back for the others to use, he should at least be able to spice his up a bit. "To Nick?"

"Some boys beat him up and took his candy."

"Max-"

"They did, Fang."

"That's horrible. Who are their parents?"

Fang groaned. "What is it with chicks thinking that you can just go and talk to someone's parents and that'll fix everything?"

"Oh, I wasn't going to talk to them," Angel said, crossing her arms then, still seeming rather childlike to Fang in many ways. She always would though, he feared. "We're going to make their pathetic lives even worse. Aren't we?"

"No," Max said, rolling her eyes. "That would be an abuse of power."

"What the hell do you call the normal things you do?"

"Necessary evils."

Angel made a noise then, scanning the crowd. "I say that we have Iggy, you know, cook them something."

"Meaning?"

"Stop being dense, Max," she scolded making both Max and Fang frown. The blonde just stood with her back to them though, arms crossed as she looked around for someone. "Iggy makes people food when they want. If they trade him something. He's going to put something in it."

"You want us to poison them?"

"Yes."

"Ang-"

"Not kill. Just make very, very sick."

"I think you're very, very sick."

"Perhaps." Angel still wouldn't look at them. "And I'll have Nudge sleep with the father."

And Fang out.

"Why would you do that?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Because I'm sure the father is with the mother and I'll use Nudge to drive a wedge between them. Either that or myself. I'd have to see the guy first, you know?"

"No," Max said dryly. "I don't know."

"You two are no fun."

"Not having sex with people you don't know isn't not having fun, Angel," Fang told her harshly, something he had been reiterating to her for, oh, years and years. "I've only ever been with Max and I plan to keep it that way."

The worst was when they took her off the island, on a vacation of sorts. They were going to be gone for a few months. Max was about to give birth for the first time and wanted to have it done off the island, as at that time, there were better options available elsewhere than trusting good ol' Mom and ex-whitecoats.

While they were there though, Angel became rather involved rather fast with some stupid guy. Fang was of course annoyed with this, but he was also preoccupied with caring for his pregnant wife and later his newborn son. Which of course gave Angel all the freedom she needed to, you know, just go get knocked up by the jerk who then told her that he didn't want a kid or a relationship and bailed. That was probably the only good thing out of all of it, as it made it easier for Max and Fang to drag the then pregnant Angel back to the island without worrying about bringing an outsider onto it.

"You sound so old, Fang," Angel complained.

"He better keep sounding old," Max said, making a face. "Because there is no way that I am letting him sleep with anyone else ever and vice versa."

"Damn straight," Fang agreed.

Then they did this fist bump thing that about made Angel die of mortification. And she wasn't even their kid!

"Besides, Angel," Max said then as Fang wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Fang and I have decided that we need to let Nicky take care of this on his own."

"And why would you decide something stupid like that?"

"It's a parenting thing," Fang said simply as he pulled Max in closer before ducking his head to kiss hers. "You wouldn't understand."

* * *

"You sure pissed Angel off."

"Yeah, well, tell the truth. Who takes better care of Evie?"

"Fang."

They had landed on their deck not a minute prior and, after going inside, were relieved to find Nicky and Evelyn already in bed, snuggled up with some of their son's toys on his little cot in the back part of the treehouse. Fang, who had been carrying Kimmy back from the party, quickly put the sleepy toddler down for the night while Max went to tuck Nicholas and Evie in better.

They met up back at their own mattress, Fang slowly stripping down for the night while Max found something comfortable to wear for bed. She still had that funny feeling in her stomach, just from knowing that she was home again, that she was with her kids again, her family again.

It was a great feeling, truly.

"It's good to be home," Max told Fang softly when they both finally collapsed onto their mattress. She curled into him almost immediately while he readily wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah," he whispered. "You know in the morning though, everyone will forget how much they missed us and start bitching to us again about stupid stuff."

"Well," Max said slowly as she snuggled into him. "It comes with the territory."

"And the Gasman was rather odd at the party tonight. I think he's hiding something."

"I think you're too paranoid."

"So are you."

"Yeah, but not about a grown man," Max said with a sigh. "Gazzy can do whatever he wants. You know, short of, like, blowing up the entire island and everyone on it."

"Short of that."

"I hardly even talked to Mom."

"Yeah, well, life goes on."

Max snuggled her head into his chest. "So are you going to sneak away tonight? Go invisible and get the candy back?"

"Probably not."

"I didn't think you would. I mean, you're a good dad, but not a great one."

"Don't taunt me."

She rolled away from him then, letting out a long sigh. "I'm letting it go this time, Fang. But next time, well, I just might let Nudge sleep with that guy."

"Is no one else concerned with the fact that we haven't even asked Nudge if she would do it?"

"Ask her if she'd sacrifice for the greater good that is my son? Yeah, right. That is no question. She'd do it in a heartbeat."

"If you're so sure."

"Oh, trust me. I know what Kris's father looks like."

Fang frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means."

He let out a slow breath. "I think I love you."

"I would tell you that I've had better-"

"Oh, bull."

"-but that would be a lie. I've had way better."

"You-"

"You're the way better, dummy."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Max said, sighing slightly. "It's just that, you know, you were better back then."

He blinked before shifting onto his back. "Given the day I've had, I'll take that."

"Really? Not gonna fight it in the slightest?"

"Nope. It's probably even true."

"Probably."

"Just know this, Max."

"What's that?"

"No matter how bad I get, you're stuck with me."

"Damn."

"Yep."

She shifted back towards him, so her back was pressed against his side. "Guess it's a good think I like you."

"Guess it's a great thing."

* * *

**This totally started as a tiny one-shot about something totally different and turned into a long, mostly pointless one-shot. Sigh. But what's done is done, yeah? **


End file.
